Taking Action to save woman's "Labor of Love"

Published 01/15 2014 10:27PM

Updated 01/16 2014 02:02PM

NEWMAN -- The small town didn't have a grocery store, so using money from her own pocket, a woman opened up shop. But this weekend, it was robbed of hundreds of dollars. It happened in the 100-block of Broadway Street. WCIA-3's Megan Brilley finds out what happened next.

"What happened over the weekend, was actually an answer to a prayer."

For months, Mary Conn debated shutting the Restoration General Store down. It looks small, but it's not easy for her to keep up. Everything you see, she buys and sells at discounted prices.

"I grew up very poor. I can relate," Conn said. "I try to bring in what somebody would need to run a household."

But the bills started to pile up, so when she walked in and saw someone kicked in her back door and stole $600 out of her cash register, "I thought 'okay. This is my answer. I'm supposed to leave.'"

But as her mind was filling with doubt, little did Conn know, her community was hard at work. Dozens started posting on Facebook and, within an hour, people were going door-to-door to collect donations.

"They came back and gave me 700 dollars. People were coming in and telling me they loved me. I was like, 'oh my god.' That. That was the answer really."

It started to hit her. Her little shop on the corner was anything but little to her community.

"I think it's wonderful. I think it's absolutely wonderful," customer Chris Lange said. "This gives us all a place we can catch up, take care of each other, watch over."

"No matter what, I'm here to stay," Conn said.

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